Man convicted in cocaine trial

A north Dublin man has been convicted of having cocaine worth €70,000.

Stephen Proudfoot (aged 26) of Moatview Drive, Coolock was found guilty been a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on October 6 2005 of having cocaine with intent to supply it.

John Joyce (aged 28) of Grove Park, Malahide Road, Coolock was found not guilty by the jury.

Judge Tony Hunt remanded Proudfoot in custody for sentence later.

The jury returned its guilty verdict on Prodfoot after two and a half hours of deliberation.

During the trial Detective Sergeant Gregory Sheehan, of the National Drugs Unit, told prosecuting counsel, Mr Fergal Foley BL, he observed the two men collecting a white package containing what he believed to be a kilogram of cocaine from a transit van in the car park of the Priorswood Shopping Centre.

Det Sgt Sheehan said gardaí had mounted a surveillance operation on the shopping centre on October 6 2005 after receiving information that it was been used for drug deals.

He observed a white Ford Transit van pulling in and the driver leaving the area in another car. A motorcycle then entered the carpark, followed by a Ford Focus car driven by Mr Joyce.

Det Sgt Sheehan said the motorcyclist pointed to the white van and Mr Proudfoot got out of the car to collect a white package from the passenger seat and took it back to the car driven by his co-accused.

Gardaí then blocked the entrances to the carpark and the accused men attempted to escape on foot with Mr Proudfoot throwing the package away as he ran.

Det Sgt Sheehan said they were caught on Clonshaugh Avenue and the driver of the Transit van was also arrested nearby.

Proudfoot gave evidence that he went over to the van to check if there was anything to steal from it and when he saw the package he thought it was a "present".

He maintained that he had been on the way to the chip shop when Mr Joyce picked him up. He said he had no knowledge of the drug deal and he did not know the people in the other vehicles.

On day three of the trial evidence was stopped when Mr Joyce had difficulty breathing and started calling for his inhaler.

He collapsed and became unconscious before an ambulance arrived 40 minutes later. The trial resumed the following morning.

Judge Hunt thanked the jury for their time, calling it a "difficult case" and excused them from jury service for five years.